So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse.
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Mr Obama used his last speech to implore Americans not to give in to fear and division after the Republican presidential front runner recently called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.
“All the talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air”, Obama said in Tuesday night’s address. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. And our answer needs to be more than tough talk. “That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world stage”, Obama said. “The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith”.
“When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalised, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer”, he noted. He added that some – presumably conservatives – “claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control”.
The Republican frontrunner Trump was not impressed, describing the speech on Twitter as “really boring, slow, lethargic – very hard to watch!”
Shortly before the speech began, news broke that Iran was holding 10 U.S. Navy sailors and their two small boats that drifted into Iranian waters after experiencing mechanical problems. “?they call us”, Obama said.
White House Communications Director Jen Psaki said the president was also energized by his appearance last week on a CNN special on guns, in which he took questions from gun control advocates as well as gun owners, a gun dealer and an Arizona sheriff.
There was no mention of the racial tensions that have dogged the tenure of the first black president.
Clinton hit Sanders at an event in Ames – where she also picked up an endorsement from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence – for bragging about standing up to special interests, but siding with the National Rifle Association on certain legislation.
He also spoke of how politics in Washington and around the country has gotten so rancorous.
“But they do not threaten our national existence”, said the president.
A year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen-inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far. Delivering the GOP response, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reiterated the party’s pledge to “end a disastrous health care program, and replace it with reforms”.
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In his speech, Obama tried to reignite the great American spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship to meet the challenges being faced by the country – from climate change to terrorism and economy. Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people? “We must resist that temptation”.
